Definition

Noun: - The pace of music measured by the number of beats occurring in 60 seconds: A unit of musical tempo, indicating how many beats of a piece of music happen in one minute. It is an abbreviation for the Italian musical term "metronome marking."

Usage

• m.m. is used in written music notation to specify the exact tempo. It is typically followed by a number and a note value (e.g., m.m. ♩ = 120).
• It provides a precise, measurable speed for performers, as opposed to general Italian tempo terms like or .

Examples

• The composer wrote m.m. ♩ = 60 at the top of the score, indicating a slow, steady pulse.
• For this exercise, please play at m.m. ♪ = 80.
• The conductor adjusted the tempo from the marked m.m. ♩ = 100 to a faster ♩ = 112.

Advanced Usage

• Historical Context: The abbreviation m.m. stands for named after Johann Nepomuk Mälzel, who popularized the mechanical metronome in the early 19th century. It is synonymous with the symbol M.M..
• In Modern Practice: While m.m. or M.M. is still used, it is often omitted in contemporary scores. The tempo is simply indicated by a note value and a number (e.g., ♩ = 120).

Variants and Related Words

• Metronome Marking (n): The full term for m.m., meaning the tempo indication.
• Tempo (n): The general speed or pace of a piece of music.
• Beats Per Minute (BPM) (n): A modern, non-musical specific term equivalent to m.m., widely used in various genres, especially electronic music.

Synonyms

• Tempo indication: A marking that shows the speed of the music.
• Metronome setting: The specific speed set on a metronome.

Related Phrases

• At a steady m.m.: To play strictly at the indicated tempo without speeding up or slowing down.
  • The pianist practiced the difficult passage at a steady m.m..
• According to the m.m.: As directed by the tempo marking.
  • We rehearsed the movement according to the composer's m.m..

Noun

1. the pace of music measured by the number of beats occurring in 60 seconds